湖南省邵东县2016高考英语单项选择和阅读理解精炼（8）
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world’s supply of water. With 97% of the world’s water too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage (短缺) seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world’s agricultural industries experience constant water shortages.
Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution (重新分配) are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys (山谷) are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed. Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements.
This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation (灌溉). In Texas, farmers’ overuse of irrgation water has resulted in a 25% reduction of the water stores. In the Central Valley area of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed.
Saudi Arabia’s attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping of huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves. Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry.
1. From the first two paragraphs we learn that .
A. much of the world’s water is available for use
B. people in high rainfall countries feel lucky
C. the costs of water redistribution should be considered
D. water can be easily carried through pipes across the world
2. Which of the following is true?
A. The water stores in Texas have been reduced by 75%.
B. Most industries in the world suffer from water shortages.
C. The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in 50 years.
D. Good management of water use resulted from the project in the Central Valley.
3. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
A. Steps to improving water use management.
B. Ways to reduce the costs of building dams.
C. Measures to deal with worldwide water shortages.
D. Approaches to handling the pressure on water supply.
4. The text is mainly about .
A. water supply and increasing population
B. water use management and agriculture
C. water redistribution and wildlife protection
D. water shortages and environmental protection
【参考答案】1-4 CCAB
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（AB、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上
将该项涂黑。
Imagine having an idea, drawing it on paper, bringing it to a store and seeing it turned into a physical object．This is now possible with the help of 3D printers．Such machines were once used just by universities and big compaes．But now, stores with 3D printing services are appearing around the United States．
Bryan Jayox and his wife opened The Build ShopLLC in Los Angeles two years ago．The store is filled with tools like a laser cutter, an industal sewing machine and 3D printers．Bryan Jaycox requires $ 15 an hour to print an object．He also charges a fee depending on the size of the object and up to $ 50 an hour for design and labor services．
The Jaycoxs also offer 3D printing classes for anyone who is interested．One of the students in a recent class was Ki Chong Tran．He plans to open a 3D printing business in Cbodia．"The demand has been amazing．It's been much more than I would have imagined," said Ki Chong Tran．
"I think 3D printing is going to be huge． It's going to make a huge impact on society as a whole," he added．
Mr Jaycox predicts that within five years, 3D printing technology could become more consumer friendly．
But Ki Chong Tran says even current technology can make a ifference m a developing country like Cambodia．"With 3D printing you can give them tools, and you put it in their hands so they are responsible more for their own development． They learn skills beyond just leaing English and becoming a tour guide or something like that or working at a bank．You can actually create things that give value to the world," said Ki Chong Tran．
He says it's not just Cambodia but anywhere where there is a 3D printer, it can tu a good idea into reality．
1．We lea from Paragraph l that3D printing
．
A．is now available to ordinary people
B．first appeared in the United States
C．can tu your every dream into reality
D．is now only used by uersities
2．Bryan Jaycox opened The Build ShopLLC to．
A．sell 3D printers and different kinds of tools
B．produce all types of printing machines
C．offer 3D printing classes and services
:
D．design different types of 3D printers
3．According to Ki Chong Tran, 3D printing． A．is now widely used in Cambodia
B．will change our daily life completely
C．has a huge market potential in Cambodia
D．is useless for developing countries
4．In Mr Jaycox's opinion, within five years 3D printing will．
A．make it easier to do business
B．be accessible to all consumers
C．change the way of social contact（交往）
D．bring about more proits to the sellers
5．How will 3D printing technology benefit developing countries according to the text?
A．It helps the people work efficiently at a bank．
B．It will promote the learning of English
C．It will accelerate the development of tourism．
D．It offers them a new way of development．—5、ACCBD
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项。
There was once a fairy who was learning how to be a fairy godmother. She was the kindest and cleverest of all fairies. However, she was also a very ugly fairy. And no matter how friendly she was to others, it seemed that everyone always believed that the most important thing about a fairy was her beauty. In the fairy country, she was always laughed at. Every time she flew off to help a child or anyone else in trouble, before she could say a word they were already shouting: “Ugly! Get out of here!”
Although she was little, her magic was very powerful because she studied very hard in the fairy school. And more than once she had considered using her magic to make herself beautiful.
But then she remembered what her mother had always told her: “My dear, you are what you are, so just be yourself. Remember, you are this way for a very special reason.”
Then, one day, the witches of the neighboring land invaded the country, putting all the fairies in prison. The ugly fairy was helped by her ugly face, since the witches believed all fairies were beautiful. So no witches thought she was a fairy. That way she was able to follow the witches back to their home. Once there she used her magic to prepare a big party for everyone. The witches got really excited. They sang and drank. While the party was in full swing, the fairy hurried off and set free all the fairies. Then they worked together and succeeded in locking the witches inside the mountain for the next hundred years and more, everyone remembered the great bravery and intelligence of the fairy. From that day on, no one in that land ever saw ugliness as a bad thing, and whenever someone ugly was born, people were filled with joy, knowing that for that new person great things waited ahead.
26. In most fairies’ opinion, it was the most important to __________.
A. learn the most powerful magic
B. become a good fairy godmother
C. be a beautiful and attractive fairy
D. help more people get out of trouble
【答案】C
【解析】细节理解题。由“it seemed that everyone always believed that the most important thing about a fairy was her beauty.”可知选C。
27. The little fairy would have had no chance to save her country if __________.
A. her magic had been poor
B. she had been very beautiful
C. her mother hadn’t helped her
D. she hadn’t learned magic
【答案】B
【解析】细节理解题。由“So no witches thought she was a fairy. That way she was able to follow the witches back to their home.”可知因为她的丑陋，没有女巫认为她是仙女，所以没有抓她，以至于她后来有机会拯救她的王国。故选B。
28. Which sentence has the closest meaning to the underlined sentence in the third paragraph?
A. The witches were high on their big swings.
B. The witches wanted to set free the fairies.
C. The witches ended the party with a song.
D. The party reached its highest level of activity.
【答案】D
【解析】词意猜测题。由“the fairy hurried off and set free all the fairies.”可看出晚会达到了高潮。故选D。
29. The lesson the ugly fairy learned from her mother was that __________.
A. fairies’ beauty depended on kindness and intelligence
B. her magic couldn’t change herself into a beautiful one
C. being an ugly fairy could lead to a really serious result
D. one shouldn't change only according to others’ opinion
【答案】D
【解析】细节理解题。从她妈妈说的话“My dear, you are what you are, so just be yourself. Remember, you are this way for a very special reason.”可推断出选D。
30. The third paragraph mainly tells us __________.
A. how the ugly fairy saved her country and changed others’ opinion
B. which way the fairy chose to escape and left the fairy country
C. when and where the witches won the fight against the fairies
D. why the ugly witches wanted to live in the fairy country
【答案】A
【解析】细节理解题。由“the fairy hurried off and set free all the fairies.”和“From that day on, no one in that land ever saw ugliness as a bad thing,”可看出这段主要讲这位丑陋的仙女是如何拯救她的王国，以及从那以后其他人观点的改变。故选A。
2017高考英语（附解析答案）
Ⅰ.单项填空
1．So much of interest________that most visitors simply run out of time before seeing it all.
A．offers Beijing
B．Beijing offers
C．does Beijing offer
D．Beijing does offer
解析 此题考查了so...that倒装句型的用法。句型so＋adj./adv.＋that和such＋形容词＋名词＋that“如此……以至于……”中，若把“so＋adj./adv.”“或such＋adj.＋名词”提到句首，则主句需部分倒装，从句不倒装。
答案 C
2．He________of________he had said at the meeting.
A．was accused；that
B．was accused；what
C．was charged；what
D．accused；what
解析 固定词组accuse sb of sth而介词后往往接what引导的宾语从句表示“某内容”“某状态”“某情况”，故答案为B。
答案 B
3．He glanced out of the window，________that the post office was still closed.
A．noted
B．having noted
C．to note
D．noting
解析 非谓语动词作状语时，其逻辑主语是句子的主语。note和he之间是主动关系，所以用现在分词；又因为note的动作是紧跟在glance之后，所以不用完成时。
答案 D
4．What are you doing out of bed，Tom？You’re ______ to be asleep.
A．supposed
B．known
C．thought
D．considered
解析 句意：你不睡觉在干什么，汤姆？你应该睡觉。be supposed to do sth.意为“(按规则、惯例等)应该做某事”。如：Am I supposed to clean all the rooms or just this one？我是应该打扫所有的房间，还是只这一间？be known to be被知道是；be thought to be被认为是；be considered to be被认为是。
答案 A
5．We'll do everything we can to assist you________out who has stolen your new watch.
A．to finding
B．in finding
C．with finding
D．find
解析 assist sb in doing...意为“在……方面给予某人帮助”。句意：我们将做我们力所能及的一切来帮你查清是谁偷了你的新表。
答案 B
6．I guess we’ve already talked about this before but I’ll ask you again just______.
A．by nature
B．in return
C．in case
D．by chance
解析 考查固定短语的用法。句意：我估计我们以前讨论过此事，不过我再问你一次只是以防(免)我记错了。by nature 生来，本来；in return作为报答；in case以防万一，以免；by chance偶然地，意外地。由上下文的句意可以看出，in case为最佳答案。
答案 C
7．Greater efforts to increase agricultural production must be made if food shortage_____avoided.
A．is to be
B．can be
C．will be
D．has been
解析 句意：如果要避免食品短缺，就必须作出更大的努力来增加农业产量。条件状语从句中，要用一般现在时表示将来，故排除C项；B、D两项与句意不符。“be＋不定式”可用于条件状语从句中，表示“如果想……”，故答案为A。
答案 A
8．________meet his sister at the airport，he had to get up early.
A．So as to
B．In order to
C．So that
D．In order that
解析 此处考查目的状语，所以不选C、D。so as to一般不用于句首，因此答案选B。
答案 B
9．What worries me most is that my daughter________most of her spare time________playing games on the computer.
A．concentrates；on
B．concentrates；in
C．focuses；to
D．focuses；in
解析 句意：令我最担心的是我女儿把她大部分的业余时间都用来在电脑上打游戏。concentrate...on...“把……集中在……上”，为固定搭配，据此排除B项。focus与on搭配，意为“集中于……”，据此排除C、D项。故A项正确。
答案 A
10．Our teachers don’t______us smoking cigarettes in the school.
A．agree
B．approve of
C．agree to
D．promise
解析 approve of意思为“赞成”，后接名词或动名词，本句中us为smoking的逻辑主语。注意以下结构：agree to do sth.，agree with sb.to do sth.，promise sb.to do sth.。
答案 B
11．He ________ to save the dying man，but failed.
A．managed
B．attempted
C．risked
D．assisted
解析 句意：他努力想把那个垂死的人救过来，但没有成功。attempt to do＝try to do。而manage to do表示“做成某事”；risk doing“冒险做”。
答案 B
12．When I visited her，she was ________ in writing a lecture speech on Chinese History.
A．absorbing
B．concentrated
C．devoted
D．occupied
解析 考查动词辨析。be occupied in doing sth“集中精力”。其他三个词的用法为be absorbed in/ concentrate on/ devote...to，故在此处的结构不正确。
答案 D
13．The policeman stopped him when he was driving home and ________ him of speeding.
A．charged
B．accused
C．blamed
D．warned
解析 考查动词辨析。accuse sb of (doing) sth“指控某人做了某事”。句意：他开车回家时被警察拦住，指控他超速驾驶。
答案 B
14．We hired a boat ________ we could go fishing on the weekend.
A．in order to
B．so as to
C．in order
D．so that
解析 后面是从句，所以排除动词不定式in order to和so as to，而in order后面跟从句要使用that。
答案 D
15．Would it be possible to make an______in advance to have my hair cut tomorrow?
A．appointment
B．arrangement
C．schedule
D．engagement
解析 appointment“约会”；make an appointment“预约”；arrangement“排列，安排”；schedule“时间表，进度表”；engagement“婚约，诺言”。句意：我可不可以提前预约明天来理发？
答案 A